Unions – Teachers – Strikes

They are at it again. Impending teachers’ strike actions are threats against – not only the tax-paying public at large – but mainly against the children, who are again forced to teach themselves. Bargaining for more money (coming from tax payers) and for smaller class sizes (impossible with more and more children, and less and less buildings), is a threat and should be taken seriously.

We as data processing and IT professionals had to work 24/7, and if under contracts often did not get paid for the full number of hours we put in. Did we strike ? Not very likely, given the circumstances: “If you do not work your full shift, you are out.”

What’s the problem with the teachers ? Why did they become teachers, knowing that they are on initially fixed pay, and knowing about the class sizes ? Also knowing that as a teacher you have a union standing behind you, you can strike, lay down your work, and sit down at ‘bargaining tables’. You also know, that you get a lengthy vacation (flying anywhere in summer, most of the seats in air planes are occupied by teachers), and best of all, that you can retire early on your pension. While we have to work till after complete ‘burn out’, and mostly do not get any pension. So, as a teacher, if you do not like being a teacher, but enjoy endless rounds of unionized bargaining and even strike actions, wouldn’t it be advisable to have a different occupation ? And find out, how hard we all have to work.